[FIN] Hair is Serious Business

[BlackPidgeot]

Even though his once long tresses had been rather rudely chopped off over a year ago, one particular red head still made a habit of going to a hair salon in Camphoreon. He'd been trying everything he could to get his hair to grow longer, faster. The young man was skeptical if any of it actually worked, but he tried nonetheless.

Every couple months he would come to this place, if only to get a trim and keep back the inevitable split ends and breakage that would make growth even harder. Sometimes he would even get a hot oil treatment. After all, he took haircare very seriously, whether it was long or not. Asch wasn't typically one to splurge, but taking care of his hair was one exception.

The salon he frequented was one of the best in town. He couldn't trust just anyone to touch his hair after all, especially after what Izaya had done. They all knew him there, and when he'd walked in that first time with his short cropped hair, they almost hadn't recognized him, and bemoaned over the beautiful hair that had been cut.

Today was one of those regular visits. Naturally, he had an appointment, and his usual stylist was waiting for him. Dressed in jeans and a black button up shirt with the top couple buttons undone, Asch walked into the establishment. There was some girl standing there that he didn't know, and so he just ignored her. Brushing past the brunette and being greeted by the woman who was waiting for him.

"Oh! Mr. Fabre, it's good to see you. I see your hair has grown a little since you were last here."

Indeed for it now reached to his shoulder blades.  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove stayed leaned against the counter, her arms folded across its surface as she laughed in conversation with the owner. This was the second time they had met, their first to get a simple trim, and now to discuss the possibility of modeling for them. Though it wasn't exactly the glamorous, exceptionally high-end, international work she was accustomed to, Dove was pleased with the outcome of their consultation, accepting the offer and the modest financial offer that came with it. After all, she didn't really need the money at the moment, and the woman was sweet, and did her work well. And, honestly, Dove seriously missed being in front of a camera.

When the man walked in, and the woman paused their discussion to greet him, Dove turned with a half smile of welcome to the newcomer. After looking him over, however, she blinked, smiling even brighter than before. "Luke? Hey, I didn't--!"

Her cheeks flushing, she stopped herself, still looking at the stranger. "I'm sorry, I thought you were...someone else," she explained, embarrassed to have made such a mistake. The young man had to be Luke's twin... They looked far too similar, and yet, this man's demeanor spoke little of Luke's...  

[BlackPidgeot]

Hearing his given name, but knowing full well nobody here called him that, Asch looked over at the girl with a distinctively sour frown.

"I get that a lot," he groused, effectively just shrugging it off despite the negative connotations it had. Yet another one of his brother's friends no doubt. He seemed to run into those more and more. Painfully reminding him that he didn't have any of his own.  

[Tori Honoo]

She nearly cringed away at his frown, her head tipping down in a small bow as she apologized again. "I'm sorry, you just look so similar..."

She closed her eyes a moment, shaking her head at herself. "I'm sorry, where are my manners? I'm Dove, one of your brother's...." People he's met? Acquaintances? "...friends," she told him, wondering if the boy might even consider her anything of the sort. As one of the few people she had met more than once in the region, and spent at least a little significant time with, she considered him a friend, though of course, they weren't close as of yet.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"We're twins, what do you expect?" Asch huffed irritably. This girl didn't seem exceptionally bright. Of -course- they looked similar. Duh.

"I figured that out," he then continued when she introduced herself. Realizing he was being exceptionally rude, the young man let out a resigned sigh.

"I'm Asch."  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove frowned at his taunts, unused to the outright rudeness of his greeting. However, when he introduced himself, finally, she smiled, almost knowingly. Maybe he was just having a bad day, or maybe he was just cynical. In any case, she didn't have nearly enough knowledge about the man to make a judgement yet.

"It's nice to meet you, Asch," she said genuinely, tucking her hair back from here face. "Luke mentioned you, but I wasn't sure I'd ever get to meet you."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Asch looked a little skeptical at that. His frown not lifting. "Really. What has he said about me?" Surely the idiot wasn't going around broadcasting that he was a Rocket or something. Or at least he hoped not. If he was, this girl would be incredibly dumb to even be talking to him at the moment.

"Mr. Fabre we're ready for you," the salon's owner reminded him and he nodded, following the woman to a vacant chair.

"So what will it be today? Another trim? Would you like a hot oil treatment this time?"

Asch pondered this for a moment before agreeing. The woman holding some of his red locks in her hands as she studied it. "It's still such a shame that you cut it. You had such beautiful hair."

The young man grimaced in annoyance. "I told you, I didn't cut it."  

[Tori Honoo]

"Ah..." The girl paused, unsure of what to say. This young man was a member of Team Rocket, or at least associated with them, information she had gotten from Luke. She definitely didn't want to let him on to the fact she knew. She quickly searched the recesses of her mind for any other information Luke had given her about his brother.

Until the salon owner interrupted their discussion, which Dove was incredibly grateful for.

Listening to their exchange, she tilted her head a little, crossing her arms and leaning against the counter. "You do have really great hair..." she added, wondering about the woman's comments.  

[BlackPidgeot]

Asch was starting to get annoyed about all the excessive compliments. He didn't say so, but it showed on his face. But yeah, knowing that Luke was going around telling people that he was a member of Team Rocket... wouldn't go over well. He didn't want that broadcasted to all of everyone ever. Its a good thing she didn't mention it.

The young man sighed through his nose. "Anyway, yeah. The trim and the oil treatment are fine. And if you could make my hair grow faster, that'd be great too." The last sentence obviously being a sarcastic one. As much as he wanted his hair to be long again, he would have to be patient.  

[Tori Honoo]

Dove tipped her head, listening to the young man's sarcasm as he directed it at the hairdresser. "What do you use on it...? They've got some really great products here, if you're wanting to grow it out faster. I know some natural ways, too, if you're interested..."

Stepping closer--but not too close-- she added, curiously, "How long was it before it was cut? ....how was it cut?"  

[TRHQ Yuri Lowell]

As the stylist starting working on his hair, Asch tilted his gaze to look at Dove as she made her suggestions. He seemed to actually consider this, interested in ways to help make his hair grow faster indeed.

"Down to my waist," he answered. "Cut clean off with a knife. You know my brother. It was as short as his."

This answer caused the woman to draw pause and stare for a moment. Cut off with a knife? Seemed kinda barbaric to her.  

[Tori Honoo]

She watched the woman working with his hair, her reaction to his statement of how his hair was cut much like hers. "Cut off with a knife? Why?"

She laughed uneasily, shaking her head. "You'd have to strap me to a chair before I'd let anyone even close to my hair with a knife..."  

[BlackPidgeot]

Asch turned just enough in his chair to give Dove a look.

"I was strapped to a chair," he said with a voice laced in bitterness. As far as to the why, he was still trying to figure that out. He'd pretty much chalked it up to Izaya just being a huge vengeful jerk.  

[Tori Honoo]

Though her expression remained alarmed for a few moments more, she looked away, deciding not to question it; to do so would only confirm that she knew he was a rocket, she thought. Only Rockets were that extreme, surely.

"I apologize. You do get it trimmed regularly though?" she asked, changing the subject all together as she turned back to him.  

[BlackPidgeot]

"Yeah," was Asch's only reply before he was prompted to get up and move to a chair next to a sink where his hair would be shampooed and conditioned before being trimmed.